What Mao Asada, The Portland Trail Blazers, and the Intercultural Development Inventory have in common...
.....read on and find out!
December 11th – 14th I was in Portland, Oregon for an Intercultural Development Inventory (I.D.I.) administrator qualifying seminar lead by Mitch Hammer Phd.. The seminar was well attended and very useful. Now, as certified administrator, I have the use of a valid and effective tool to measure intercultural competency and will greatly enhance my ability to assess the effectiveness of my intercultural training courses and university classes, and assess student and participant intercultural developmental levels. The tool can also be used in countless other ways which I am very eager to explore.
During the trip I had the chance to attend a Portland Trail Blazers basketball game one evening, it was my first time to a professional (N.B.A.) basketball game and a pretty exciting one at that. Portland had the lead near the end, but a three point shot at the buzzer tied the game for the L.A. Clippers.
Unfortunately the home team lost to the Clippers in DOUBLE OVERTIME. Bummer.
My flight out of Portland was delayed because of a snowstorm at the time of departure. The aircraft needed de-icing, and runway cleared. It was the eve of a week-long cold spell for the area and a blizzard was on the way.
It was sure nice to see the coastline of Japan again knowing that I had escaped the cold!
Fortunately a delay on the front-end of the trip, lead to a nice surprise on the arrival end, when my plane landed at the same time as a plane from Korea carrying world champion Japanese figure skater Mao Asada. What luck!
She was as cute and gracious in person as we see in her interviews and on the ice. She had just won gold at the 2008-2009 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in South Korea and the fans and media were out in full force to welcome her home.
Oh yes.... of course Tristen and Kana were also there to greet me as well!
All in all, five really, REALLY, enjoyable days.
Jon.
December 11th – 14th I was in Portland, Oregon for an Intercultural Development Inventory (I.D.I.) administrator qualifying seminar lead by Mitch Hammer Phd.. The seminar was well attended and very useful. Now, as certified administrator, I have the use of a valid and effective tool to measure intercultural competency and will greatly enhance my ability to assess the effectiveness of my intercultural training courses and university classes, and assess student and participant intercultural developmental levels. The tool can also be used in countless other ways which I am very eager to explore.
During the trip I had the chance to attend a Portland Trail Blazers basketball game one evening, it was my first time to a professional (N.B.A.) basketball game and a pretty exciting one at that. Portland had the lead near the end, but a three point shot at the buzzer tied the game for the L.A. Clippers.
Unfortunately the home team lost to the Clippers in DOUBLE OVERTIME. Bummer.
My flight out of Portland was delayed because of a snowstorm at the time of departure. The aircraft needed de-icing, and runway cleared. It was the eve of a week-long cold spell for the area and a blizzard was on the way.
It was sure nice to see the coastline of Japan again knowing that I had escaped the cold!
Fortunately a delay on the front-end of the trip, lead to a nice surprise on the arrival end, when my plane landed at the same time as a plane from Korea carrying world champion Japanese figure skater Mao Asada. What luck!
She was as cute and gracious in person as we see in her interviews and on the ice. She had just won gold at the 2008-2009 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in South Korea and the fans and media were out in full force to welcome her home.
Oh yes.... of course Tristen and Kana were also there to greet me as well!
All in all, five really, REALLY, enjoyable days.
Jon.
